It is known that a basic catalyst is usually used in the preparation of a phenol-formaldehyde resin using phenol and formaldehyde as starting materials.
Suitable basic catalysts are for example sodium hydroxide, barium hydroxide and calcium hydroxide and organic amines.
Phenol-formaldehyde resins are pre-eminently suitable for impregnating for example paper.
Paper is impregnated with a phenol-formaldehyde resin, dried and stacked. The stack obtained in this manner is cured under pressure, as a result of which a laminate is obtained. In processing the usually flat laminate to a moulded part it is important that the laminate bends easily at temperatures of between 140.degree. and 200.degree. C. The deformability of laminates for this application is called the postforming behaviour.
The laminates are used for for example electrical, insulation and decorative applications.
The fact that laminates obtained in the aforementioned manner do not show optimum postforming behaviour is a drawback.